The Liberation of the Mages Heart

Despair

„Duke Croyso demands Lord Riftans sisters hand in marriage as compensation for attacking him at Croyso Castle.", Princess Agnes somberly declared, her voice echoing through the chamber, as the weight of her words bore down on the tense atmosphere.

Duke Croyso's audacious demand for Lord Riftan's sister's hand in marriage as compensation for being struck hung heavily in the air. The room pulsated with a mixture of disbelief and anger.

Riftans fist slammed onto the wooden table, causing it to crash down.  The memory of the Duke's lashes that he witnessed onto his wife enraged him. ‚This damn Duke!', Riftan, consumed by an indignant fury, unleashed his wrath upon his desk, the sound of splintering wood echoing his inner turmoil.

"My sister... is gone," he finally muttered, the anguish evident in his clenched jaw and furrowed brow. The raw emotion painted a vivid picture of his distress.

"The Duke might interpret this as an excuse. You should consider declaring her dead," cautioned Princess Agnes concerned, attempting to temper Riftan's volatile reaction. Yet, Riftan's concern was solely reserved for his missing sister. "I don't care what the Duke might understand. Belisent is missing, and I am not going to declare her dead until we find her body! If Ruth hears the Duke's demand, he will probably burn Croyso Castle to ashes," he asserted vehemently, his eyes ablaze with determination, „So you better don't bring this up ever again."

The Princess warned of the dire consequences, "Lord Riftan, if you cannot offer Lady Belisent's hand in marriage, he might request a trial... You could lose everything, your title, Anatol, everything." Despite the gravity of the situation, Riftan's response was unwavering: "I don't care."

Princess Agnes sighed deeply. She understood the complexity of the situation Riftan was in and she could feel the despair and anxiety that hung over Calypse castle.

With a big sigh, she left the council room to seek out Maxi.

***

Ruth had spent the past few weeks in his tower casting long-distance search spells for Belisent without a hint of her.

Isolated and desperate, he continuously searched for ways to escape his misery. It had taken so long for him to acknowledge her and his feelings. And now she was all gone. He couldn't believe that this was how it ended.

Why wasn't he able to find her?! Was she really dead? No, something deep inside of him knew that she was still alive. But where was she? And was she in need of his help? Was she doing fine?

„I know that you are alive, Bell...", he muttered, squeezing a small glass pendant tightly in his his hand.

„Here, in case I ever get lost and you need to cast a search spell.", she smiled, pressing a small glass pendant into Ruth's palm. „What is that? Your blood?", he inquired eying the pendant. It contained a crimson liquid, shining in the sun. „Yep, I had it crafted by a specialist merchant. My blood is sealed within the pendant for perpetuity." - "Isn't this a bit extreme?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She laughed softly, the sound like the tinkling of delicate bells. "Maybe, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Besides, you know how unpredictable our adventures can get."

Ruth nodded, slipping the pendant into a pocket on his vest. "True. You always think ahead.", he closed his fingers around the pendant and tucked it away safely into his tunic.

The memory faded away, and Ruth grit his teeth. Back then, he never would have thought that he would need that pendant. He couldn't have imagined Bell going missing. But now he found himself desperately searching for her daily until he would faint from mana depletion. How long would he be able to keep this up?